Pat shares his thoughts…
This time of year we all think of New Year’s Resolutions as our most pressing personal priority. Most often we think of the obvious resolutions like weight loss, starting an exercise program, managing our money better, or spending more time on relationships, etc. I like to look at resolutions a bit longer term as I head into the new year. So I commit every year during the Christmas break a time to focus on where I want to be in the next 2 to 3 years. I like to use the vacation down time between Christmas and New Years for what I call Vision Casting.

A good way to keep that vision “in sight” year round is to create a Goals Board. I have a collage of photos including places I want to go, the success I would like to achieve, and new toys I would like to acquire, along with happy pictures of me and my family. It’s very fulfilling at the end of the year to chart the success we have experienced. Motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, said “You need a plan to build a house. To build a life, it is even more important to have a plan or goal.” So what life plan do you envision – what blueprint could you provide that shows you have real clarity for where you want your life to take you?

This year I would like to challenge you to do more than set a resolution, cast a vision.

Michael Hyatt Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, has a great website and wonderful tool to help you with the process of developing your own life plan: Check it out here: http://www.michaelhyatt.com/life-plan.

Robbie responds…
Vision casting is a great way to start off the new year. Not only has it helped me map out my goals on a professional level, it helps me actually plan and implement quality family time so that the year doesn’t slip away. It also helps me gauge my success and lets me know when to recalibrate to get myself back on track. I strongly recommend this tool to everyone who is driven and would like to have a healthy work-life balance.